Climate change ‘critical, but not an emergency’
CLIMATE change has reached a critical point and the crisis needs to be addressed urgently by Guernsey, States members decided yesterday, but they stopped short of declaring a climate change emergency.
The approval of an amendment to the Policy & Resource Plan still needs be ratified by members’ vote on the overall plan, likely to be later this week as the Assembly continues debating 19 amendments.
While members supported the idea that more should be done, some were concerned about what action could be taken and what the ramifications would be.
Climate change had been a key issue even before the debate started, since members had to walk past representatives of Extinction Rebellion Guernsey as they arrived for the debate, eager to persuade them to take more action.
The issue formed a key part of Policy & Resources president Gavin St Pier’s opening speech to the debate on the plan.
He said the impacts of climate change were already being felt.
‘We are seeing rising sea levels in the Channel Islands, and experiencing more volatile and violent weather patterns, stronger storms, greater frequency of storm damage, flooding, hotter summers, and milder winters.’
He supported the preparation of a climate change action plan, which should be brought to the States by May 2020, and he also wanted all policy matters brought before the States from now on to address any cost to the environment.
‘It will serve no one’s interests for there to be virtue signalling declarations on intent alone to salve consciences as a substitute for action.’
Deputy St Pier listed a number of initiatives which showed that Guernsey was ahead in the global fight against climate change.
These included the waste strategy, energy policy, hydrocarbons supply programme, integrated transport strategy, biodiversity strategy, and the development of the green finance offer.
The first amendment on the subject came from Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, seconded by Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, and called for an expansion of the report’s call on Environment & Infrastructure to develop a climate change policy and a climate change action plan.
This found favour from a lot of members, although there was scepticism from Deputy Barry Paint, particularly with regard to rising sea levels which he said he did not believe was happening.
Others were worried at what impact any action plan might have on the island’s low earners, while E&I president Deputy Barry Brehaut said that it was all very well agreeing that the issue was urgent but not so easy to something about it.
After the amendment was passed, Deputy Dawn Tindall, seconded by Deputy John Gollop, tried to persuade the Assembly to go one step further and add the words ‘climate change emergency’ to the plan.
This attracted only seven votes in favour.
